Motor vehicle seating assemblies provided in modern motor vehicles are primarily designed to provide a platform by which the motor vehicle occupant can safely operate the motor vehicle or travel within the motor vehicle in a comfortable and pleasant manner. Another function of motor vehicle seating assemblies is to assist in restraining the occupant in the event of an impact or rollover event. In the case of a frontal impact event, the motor vehicle seating assembly is particularly adapted to restrain the occupant within a prescribed range of positions so that the motor vehicle's active and passive restraint systems can operate appropriately.
In the case of the lower seating assembly of the motor vehicle seating assembly, the lower seating assembly is typically downwardly inclined in a rearward direction to provide an ergonomic seating platform. This configuration also serves to assist in positioning the motor vehicle occupant of the motor vehicle seating assembly, whereby in the event of a frontal impact event, the forward momentum of the motor vehicle occupant generates a force against the lower seating assembly. By virtue of the inclined configuration of the lower seat assembly, this force is resolved into a force vector having a forward direction, which tends to move the motor vehicle occupant forward. The force, however, is also resolved into a force vector having a downward direction, which tends to urge the motor vehicle occupant downward into the lower seating assembly and thereby assist in restraining the motor vehicle occupant in a position where the active restraint system comprising the seatbelt assembly and the passive restraint system comprising one or more airbags are most effective.
Additionally, it is also desirable that motor vehicle seating assemblies be constructed of relatively lightweight materials, by which the mass of the motor vehicle can be reduced and through which the overall fuel economy of the motor vehicle can be improved. For example, lower seating assemblies may include seat bottom panels or other structural members made out of relatively lightweight materials, such as a carbon fiber reinforced polymer, due to their relatively low density and high strength. However, as such materials tend to be brittle and have low or limited ductility, the significant downward force generated by the motor vehicle occupant against the lower seating assembly during a frontal impact event can cause the seat bottom panel to fracture during a frontal impact event and thereby lose its structural integrity. A device and method that would prevent unwanted fracture of such seat bottom panels or other structural members during a frontal impact event is desired.